Mahjabin Halimi: From Challenges to Change – The Journey of Protecting Children from Polio

Herat, Afghanistan – In a relatively spacious hall of the Minarets Health Center in Herat, amidst mothers cradling their children, Mahjabin Halimi, a vaccinator wearing a white coat and a black mask, patiently vaccinates children one by one.

She has been working at this health center for the past three years, not only administering vaccines to children but also educating mothers about the importance of immunization.

Mahjabin, a graduate of the Midwifery Institute and the Faculty of Science, recently got married and is on the verge of becoming a mother herself.

Each day, she vaccinates approximately 150 children. Alongside this, she strives to clearly explain to mothers the risks of polio and other dangerous diseases and the critical Importance of vaccines.

Despite resistance and challenges from some families opposed to vaccination, Mahjabin has never wavered in her mission.

 

Challenges and Achievements

Mahjabin shares numerous stories of facing opposition from families. She has repeatedly encountered resistance and threats but has always managed to win them over with patience and determination.

“Some mothers secretly bring their children to the health center for vaccination and ask us not to mark their children’s fingers with ink after the vaccine, so they won’t face violence from their husbands,” she explains.

She recalls an incident where a mother brought her two-year-old child to the health center for treatment but refused to vaccinate him: “When I insisted that the child must be vaccinated, she became angry and even threatened to hit me. I took her to the health center’s administrative office, and with the help of the center’s director, I spent nearly an hour explaining the importance of the vaccine. In the end, she agreed and vaccinated her child. Since then, the mother has been bringing her children for vaccination every month.”

Mahjabin adds that dozens of other mothers now vaccinate their children regularly after learning about the benefits of the polio vaccine.

 

Mahjabin has been working at this health center for the past three years, not only administering vaccines to children but also educating mothers about the importance of immunization. © Polio Free Afghanistan/2024/Marzia Frotan

 

Mothers’ Experience: The Need for Vaccination

Many mothers, after understanding the importance of vaccines, consider them essential for their children’s health. Khumar Azimi, a mother of six, brought her two children under the age of five to the health center for vaccination.

“In the past, due to a lack of information, I didn’t vaccinate my children. I thought that vaccines would make them ill. But now that I’m informed, I vaccinate my children every month,” she stated.

However, Azimi mentioned that many members of her family still refuse to vaccinate their children due to misconceptions and fear: “One of my sisters has a negative view of vaccination and hasn’t vaccinated her children. Every time I take my children for vaccination, I urge her to do the same, but she hasn’t been convinced yet.”

 

Doctors’ Warning: The Dangers of the Poliovirus

Dr. Susan Tayebi, a pediatric specialist, says, “Polio is a dangerous contagious disease that enters children’s bodies through the mouth and can cause permanent paralysis or death. To prevent this dangerous disease, all children under the age of five must be vaccinated consistently.”

She holds parents responsible for their children’s health and emphasizes that no child should miss vaccination: “It is the duty of parents to vaccinate their children regularly to protect them from paralysis and safeguard their lives from devastation.”

 

Mahjabin says that dozens of other mothers, upon learning about the benefits of vaccination, now regularly vaccinate their children. © Polio Free Afghanistan/2024/Marzia Frotan

 

Commitment to a Polio-Free Future

Mahjabin Halimi and her colleagues at the Minarets Health Center in Herat exemplify dedication to the health of children and the community.

Despite challenges and limitations, their efforts to eradicate polio persist, ensuring that no child in Herat or Afghanistan loses their future to this disease.

Marzia Frotan, Polio Free Afghanistan